A Hollow Duel
by Katkiller-V
Summary: Bleach one-shot about Ichigo and Shinji sparring. Not long, but I liked the idea, and Shinji hasn't gotten the screen-time I think he deserves. Review and enjoy. This is a repost of an older one-shot, cleaned up and corrected.


**A Hollow Duel**

Tensa Zangetsu slammed against Sakanade as the two most powerful Visoreds sparred. Burning yellow eyes stared from the mask of a beast at the cool gray eyes of a pharaoh.

Dust rose into the air, hurling away from them as he allowed his spiritual energy to rage about his soul. His eyes widened in sudden pain as his opponent's right leg suddenly slammed into his left side, hurling him through the air. Hitting the ground in a roll, he rose just in time to see a blast of crimson light, the dull roar of a fired _cero _barely audible as he swept his blade through the air, black energy hurling from its edge to impact the crimson stream with force enough to pulverize the ground between them.

His hollow snarled and ranged within him, furious that their foe had yet to fall. He ignored it, as he had for so long. Mindless aggression in battle did have its place, but not in a sparring match against a friend, no matter how seriously they were taking the fight. Slipping into _shunpo_, the air cracking with the speed of his passage, the swept his sword at his opponent as he emerged before him.

His foe vanished, a flickering after image remaining as he slipped into _shunpo_, emerging to his left. Cursing mentally, he swiftly interposed _Zangetsu_ between himself and his opponent, neatly blocking the blow. His blade flicked back in a quick thrust that was neatly parried. Both stood their ground, blades flashing between them, thrusts being neatly parried, small tears of blood covering them as they scored minor wounds on the other.

Smirking beneath his mask as their blades locked, he pushed with all his tremendous might, forcing his opponent down and back He was completely unprepared when his opponent's eyes sparked, and the sudden strength that slammed him back, a fist emerging from nowhere to send him hurling to the ground.

He hit with enough force to rebound upwards, his mind still trying to process what had happened when a foot emerged from nowhere to send him hurling into a stone pillar. Staggering to his feet, he stared through his now-cracked mask, panting at his calmly waiting foe.

_He isn't even breathing hard_ he realized, somewhat belatedly. And the power thrumming through the air.. was nothing like what he had felt before. His mouth went dry and that power pressed against his own, and fell across his shoulders like anvils. _This_ was what he truly was. Not some lazy buffoon, nor a lecherous pervert. _This_, the cold gray eyes staring at him without mercy as he slowly raised his hand, crimson energy gathering once more. _This_ was what he was, the only man that Aizen had ever feared.

And when he realized that, he also noticed something else. The eyes. They were not the furious burning yellow of a hollow not simply because he was a visored. They were that way because his hollow was far different from his own or Hiyori's. It was not a beast of mindless rage and violence, that sought only to kill and sake it's thirsts for blood. His beast revealed itself in his mask, a pharaoh, timeless, cold, merciless, and patient beyond measure. It did not hasten to take over its host, it had all eternity to wear down his will like the sands upon stone, and looked forwards to the day, centuries in the future when the body would be his to do what is wished with.

Even as the crimson light slammed through his _Getsuga_ like it wasn't there, picked him up and hurling him back and away, he made a small note to himself even as he hit the ground.

_Never, ever, not if I live to be a million, piss off Hirako Shinji_.

* * *

Found this old fic on an external drive, cleaned up the spelling issues and am reposting it, hopefully people enjoy it. Bleach one-shot about Ichigo and Shinji sparring. Not long, but I liked the idea, and Shinji hasn't gotten the screen-time I think he deserves.

Review and enjoy.


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